Throwing the hand-brake

After an eight hour flight, and constantly asking what time, day, and date it was, we arrived in Ahmedabad at 2:30 a.m. local time (I think.) It was about 4:00 before we arrived at my kaka (uncle on one's dad's side.)

We sat around and chatted for a while. I held my month old cousin sister. Yes, there is now a girl on my father's side! Everyone always thought that I would have the first girl in countless generations of Trivedi men to have a daughter. Instead, my kaka had the first. Granted it took him four wives to finally get it!

Also note, that I will be referring to my cousins as brothers and sisters (or bhais and bhens or didhis) and their children as my nieces and nephews because traditional Indian families extend to, well, extended families. Traditionally, it is the mama (one's mother's brother), not the father, who gives away a bride at a wedding.

Anyway, my nanhi-bhen (little sister) was so precious. She was asleep as I held her so there wasn't a lot of interaction.

After a brief nap, which was much needed, we headed over to Suchit-bhai's home. They have a flat on a busy street across town. This is where I am now. The flat is actually two flats. Suchit-bhai's and the one next door which they use as a guest house. It's actually owned by another family that lives in Mumbai. When they are away, they allow our family to use it as a guest flat.

Since arriving, we've been doing a whole lot of nothing. This is quite the welcome break from all the running around my brother and I have been doing over the past week. I took several naps yesterday. I also read a lot and sat chatting with my family. We briefly went out to a jewelry shop, which was actually just a room in the proprietor's mansion. Mom bought a few pieces and we also put in a few pieces for alteration. One of which is the ring I've been wearing that has been cutting into my finger. We're having it reset.

I got to meet the newest addition to my mother's side. Jesh is a two year old boy who's cute with his head shaved like mine. He's also very naught as all two year old boys should be!

My family is also still teasing me about finding a wife. Paresh-bhai said that if we placed an ad saying that I was a U.S. citizen there would be a line out the door tomorrow. Tempting as it may be to have women lining up for me, I think I want a woman that wants me for me and not my citizenship!

That's pretty much been my stay in Ahmedabad so far. Today's we're heading out for a little more shopping. That's the total of the day's plan. Tomorrow we head out for a brief trip to Porbandar. Among other things, Porbandar is a quaint sea town on the Arabian Sea. It is also the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. There is a museum and the original house.

We begin our trip south a few days after we return.